New Plaque Reminds Rocklin of Its Railroad Roots

PostMay 16, 2019

The railroad tracks running through the heart of the City of
Rocklin are often viewed as an annoyance due to the intermittent
noise and traffic delays caused by locomotives.

On Saturday, May 11, the Rocklin Historical Society posted a
plaque at the Rocklin train station as a permanent reminder
that the railroad should be respected as a key part of Rocklin’s
history and likely the main reason this area was first settled.

“2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Great
Transcontinental Railway,” said Historical Society member Dr.
James Carlson. “Rocklin was the first link to the east from
Sacramento completed in 1864. The name ‘Rocklin’ on the Central
Pacific timetable from 1864 is also the first record we have of
the name’s use.”

On May 11, 2019, hundreds of people gathered at the Rocklin Train
Station to celebrate Rocklin’s locomotive history and commemorate
the installation of the plaque, which features a replica of the
1864 timetable. The ceremony featured leaders from the Historical
Society, the Rocklin Chamber of Commerce, the City of
Rocklin, the City of Roseville, Placer County, the Rocklin High
School marching band, and many more.

“Many newer residents of Rocklin have little historical knowledge
about our area,” said Michael Stark, a Historical society member
who documented the event with photos and video. “The Rocklin
Historical society is trying to fill the void with efforts like
the plaque dedication and the speaker series held in the
community.”

Records state that as the transcontinental railroad was built
across the country, the area now known as the City of Rocklin was
chosen as a station site by Southern Pacific. The company built
one of the largest switchyards in the system and Rocklin boomed.
The railyards were eventually moved to Roseville , but the tracks
still allowed Rocklin granite mining to thrive. According to
accounts by Gene Johnson, there were six saloons, four dance
halls, a undertaker parlor, hotels, a newspaper, a furniture
store and other general merchandise stores; even two theaters in
later years.

By 1910, 22 quarries operated in Rocklin and, in 1912,
nearly 2,000 train car loads of granite were sent out of town to
become part of the state capitol building and buildings in San
Francisco.

So, the next time you find yourself bemoaning a train as it holds
up traffic or its horn cuts through the quiet of the night,
remember, Rocklin as you know it likely wouldn’t exist without
the railroad.